Night…Strawberry Productions Building…
POV Tadano
"Do you have everything ready for tomorrow's presentation?" I asked Ichigo.
"Yes, everything is in order, and the tracks are already prepared. Also, Gongon will help us with some copies of the new volume of SNK," the blond responded.
"Good. With this presentation, both the manga's and the company's popularity should rise a little. How are the Kessoku girls doing?" I asked while typing something on the tablet in my hands.
"Apart from Pochi-san's usual panic attack, things are going well, and Nijika-san assured me they would give 200% of their effort," Ichigo said with a smile.
"Great. No matter how things go, book a reservation at a barbecue restaurant. Those girls will be carrying most of the workload tomorrow, so they deserve a reward regardless of the outcome," I told Ichigo while finishing my input on the tablet and pressing the save button.
After standing up and stretching a bit, I noticed my blond friend looking at the tablet with curiosity.
"What?" I asked.
"Is it a new job? Or a song?" he asked curiously.
"Sigh Sometimes I forget you're such an avid consumer of my work..."
"Hehe… It's not that much," said the blond timidly—who, by the way, casually bought the collector's editions of Naruto and SNK.
Don't think this father doesn't know you read them in secret while working, hiding from Miyako.
"Anyway, do you remember the song I gave to Kessoku Band?" I asked, picking up the tablet again.
Ichigo nodded.
"Yes! I remember little Pochi was really excited about that guitar solo," the blond said.
"Good. That song will be the introduction to a little novel that's about to be published," I said, showing Ichigo the name and cover of the book.
Toaru Kagaku no Railgun.
On the cover, two young girls appeared against a school-themed backdrop. The most prominent one was a schoolgirl with short brown hair and eyes, pointing forward with a coin in her hand, surrounded by detailed lightning effects, all while smirking playfully.
Ichigo looked at everything in amazement, impressed by the level of detail in the illustration and intrigued by the premise.
"This is amazing! Without a doubt, it'll be great promotion for Kessoku Band!" the blond said excitedly.
"It will, but I need you to handle some details with Fujikawa Shoten. They know the new book will be released tomorrow, but I'd like you to arrange for some copies to be available for the girls to sign. What could be better than a novel signed by the very girls singing its opening?" I joked.
"This isn't just a great promotion for the book, but also fantastic exposure for the girls. Without a doubt, you're a genius, boss!" Ichigo said, eyes sparkling.
Then, filled with inspiration and a renewed fighting spirit, Ichigo saluted me like a soldier.
"At your command! I'll wake Miyako right away and proceed with the orders!" the blond declared.
"Oh! Wait, take this. Coordinate with the event staff—I want a giant screen on stage. This USB contains two videos: one will play when I give the signal on stage, and the other will play while Kessoku Band performs their song," I said, handing him the USB.
He understood and, as if it were a precious treasure, carefully stored the item.
After chatting for a bit, we said our goodbyes.
As I was leaving the office, I ran into a familiar face.
"Doichi? What are you doing here so late?" I asked, approaching a somewhat exhausted Ado.
"Huh? Oh! President! Good work!" Ado said, startled as she quickly stood up.
"No need for formalities with me, Doichi. Why are you still here and not home? From what I understand, the recordings are done, and the concert isn't until January, a week after the Film Red movie premiere," I said, confused to see her in this state.
"Uhm… I know, but I still want to practice! I want to push my skills to the absolute limit before the concert!" Ado said with enthusiasm.
I rolled my eyes.
Bonk
After giving this silly girl a light flick on the head, I spoke.
"Doichi… There's still plenty of time, and your current skill level is already more than enough. Besides, look at this…" I said, lifting her hand.
Her fingertips were red and slightly swollen, with small wounds that could easily go unnoticed.
"Look at this. I know you've been dabbling in guitar and practicing on your own, but there's no need to go this far, right? Sigh I leave you unsupervised for just a couple of months, and you start neglecting your body…" I said as I got up and led Ado to my office.
"Eh? W-Wait! P-President! No… It's not necessary… I…" Doichi tried to argue.
"Be obedient. This won't take long. We need to treat those fingers, okay? … Now, where did I put that thing?" I murmured while searching for the first aid kit Yamai had forced me to keep in my office.
"But I…" Ado tried to resist.
"Here it is. Alright, give me your hands," I ordered.
Doichi hesitantly complied.
"This might sting a little, but bear with it," I warned as I cleaned the affected area with alcohol and applied an ointment for injuries.
Doichi flinched a little but endured it.
Then, I used a few band-aids to cover her fingers.
Still unsure about my treatment, I examined my handiwork.
"I suppose that should do…" I murmured to myself, feeling uncertain about whether I had done it correctly.
Doichi found my comment amusing and chuckled.
"Oh, very funny, huh? Well, let me remind you that you have the next three days off, and no! I don't want to see you hanging around the company! Go out and have fun! Or at least get some sleep…" Before I could continue, Ado interrupted with an outraged protest.
"EEEEEEEEEEHHHH? I don't want to! I don't need to rest! I'm perfectly fine!" Ado said indignantly.
I rolled my eyes and glanced at the bandages on her fingers.
She quickly hid her hands behind her back, looking guilty.
"This is an order from the president of this company!" I said, radiating my majestic presidential authority.
"Eh? That's unfair!" she complained.
"Sigh Come on, Doichi, don't be like that. I'm worried about you—just look at yourself. You have dark circles from not sleeping properly, your fingers are swollen and injured from over-practicing, and I'd bet even your throat is a bit sore from overexertion," I said seriously.
"…"
"See? I knew it. Just rest for a few days, recover properly, and then you can get back to practice, okay?" I said, slightly pleading. I was worried she'd burn herself out before even reaching her peak.
She looked at me and then reluctantly agreed.
I smiled at her acceptance.
"Alright, since you agreed, I'll give you this," I said, handing her a pass.
She looked at it curiously.
"Kessoku Band's concert is tomorrow. With this pass, you can enter the performance and backstage without any issues. While you're there, why not compare notes with little Pochi? She loves the guitar just like you do, so you two can help each other improve. But remember—don't overdo it and hurt your fingers again, okay?" I said in a motherly tone.
The blue-haired beauty's eyes sparkled, and without hesitation, she quickly snatched the pass from my hand.
I smiled, seeing Doichi's excitement.
...
"Alright, since you agreed, I'll give you this," I said as I handed her a pass.She looked at the object with curiosity.
"Tomorrow is Kessoku Band's concert. With this pass, you can enter the performance and the backstage without any problems. And since you'll be there, why not compare some notes with little Pochi? She, like you, loves the guitar, so both of you can compare your skills and help each other improve. But remember, don't overdo it and hurt your fingers again, okay?" I said in a motherly tone.
The blue-haired beauty's eyes sparkled, and without wasting any time, she quickly snatched the pass from my hand.I smiled at Doichi's joy.
"Alright, with that settled, and seeing how focused you were on your practice, I bet you haven't had lunch yet, have you?" I asked while giving her a suspicious look.
"That's not…" she tried to defend herself before the audible growl of her stomach betrayed her.
Blushing, she covered her stomach and curled up, trying to avoid my gaze.
"Jaja, well, I expected that… Grab your things and follow me. There's a good ramen stall on the way home. Don't worry about the money, it's my treat," I said playfully.
"Ugh… idiot…"
"Did you say something?"
"Nothing."
…
After dropping Doichi off at her home with some medicine for her injured fingers, I headed home.
And no!This father will never admit that he had to ask the store clerk, embarrassed, which medicine was best for finger injuries.
CoughLeaving that aside…
Door opens
"Welcome ♥～" Yamai said sweetly as she approached to help me with my coat.
"You know it's not necessary for you to stay up, right? You're already doing a lot these days…" I said, a bit embarrassed.
"I do it because I want to～ so there's nothing to worry about," she said kindly while placing the coat on the nearby hanger.
This girl is deliberately ignoring the fact that she handles most of Ai's management, as well as school… Not to mention that she's in the damn last trimester of her pregnancy!
As if she had read my thoughts, she smiled and said,"Oh, come on, I'm the one carrying this little thing. I think I can say if something is wrong with me. Besides, apart from giving me a few strange cravings, this little devil hasn't caused much trouble, thanks to Sister Nagisa's attentive care," she said warmly.
"But even so…" I tried to argue, knowing that this girl has a tendency to act recklessly from time to time.
Kiss
The kiss was affectionate and somewhat intoxicating, yet brief and spontaneous, leaving me wanting more. As she slowly pulled away with a feline smile, she continued,"Jeje, don't worry about things that haven't happened and tell me about your day. Besides, in the worst case, you can keep an eye on me with Sister Nagisa's help, right?" she said playfully.
"You…"
This girl seemed to have learned exactly how to push my buttons.
"You know? Little Ai is sleeping soundly after a hard day's work. Also, I learned something interesting from those doujins you publish online… Wanna try it?" Yamai said in a sweet and seductive voice.
"…!"
Damn it! If I don't prove who's in charge of this house tonight, then my name isn't Tadano Hitohito!
With great determination, I captured my prey and headed upstairs to the bedroom.
…
Late night…
POV Yamai
"Hmmm… Uhm? Is it morning already? No? Sigh Getting up in the middle of the night again? I guess there's no choice…" I murmured to myself reluctantly.
I looked to my side and saw the wicked man sleeping soundly.
Seeing him in such a vulnerable yet peaceful state, along with the satisfied smile on his silly face, gave me a sense of superiority and pride for some reason.
"Ha! If that narrow-eyed bitch saw us, she'd surely die of envy…" I thought smugly as I traced my fingers over this guy's muscular chest.
With a happy heart and guided by my impulses, I couldn't resist giving this bad boy a kiss on the cheek.
And although I wanted to continue toward something more intimate, the little one in my belly reminded me why I had gotten up in the first place.
"Ugh… I know… I know… Stop kicking."
I had to reluctantly pull away from that warm embrace and get out of bed.
With small and light steps, I headed downstairs.
…
After eating some spicy strawberries and drinking a cup of herbal tea, I was able to return to the bedroom.
Please don't ask about the strawberries, this kid is driving me crazy with these weird cravings.
As I snuggled against that strong body and felt the little life growing in my belly, I wondered what the future would hold for us.
…
Author's Note:
"Well, here's another chapter. This author won't make excuses. Even though it's a bit late, I managed to keep up with my goal of one chapter per week. I'll try to bring the next one before the week ends.
By the way, this author is feeling restless and wants to ask the readers something—I'm considering writing an R18 chapter, but I'm not exactly sure with whom among the current characters. Who do you think I should choose and why? Leave your comments! This author always reads them all.
That said, remember to drink plenty of water, and I love you all.
Sincerely, your favorite depressed author."
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